December 2009
Just Say Yes … No … Yes
30 November 2009
I keep struggling with how to start this post, because the natural thing that comes to mind is, “Back in college, I had this friend…” Except I didn’t GO to college, so what I really mean is, “Back when my husband was still in school, and I was living in the college town while not actually going to college…” But that seems a little cumbersome.
So.
In my early twenties, I started hanging out with this awesome girl, Kate. Kate and I went to the same church, but she was a freshman when I was a senior, so we didn’t really have the opportunity to get to know each other well. When she moved to Manhattan, Kansas for college, I was living there with my husband and was eager for a Kansas City connection.
Kate really blossomed in college, and when I commented on it, she told me that she was saying “Yes” a lot more. She ended up joining the rowing team because a friend of hers was interested and asked Kate if she would tag along to the meeting. She went to concerts and parties and other events she might have been afraid of in high school. Kate told me her father had advised her to say yes to new opportunities that arose. That it was a way to stay open to God.
No disrespect to Kate’s father, who’s a fabulous guy, but this is one of those life philosophies that made much more sense to me pre-kids and pre-career. I’ve found that saying yes to too many things is also a way to spread myself so thin that I don’t have energy to do the things that God is calling me to do.
So I’d like to suggest that maybe there are seasons of life for both. (And I’ll interject here that I DO NOT HAVE LIFE FIGURED OUT so don’t take this as gospel.) In high school, my quasi-college experience, and early twenties, it was good for me to say yes to random opportunities. Especially the ones that pushed me out of my comfort zone. But with what limited time I have now as I raise my daughter and pursue the career God blessed me with, it’s not only a good time to say “No” more often, but to weed out things that take up time but don’t contribute to the goals God has for me.
Like everything else, this time in my life is a season. I won’t always be launching a writing career. I won’t always be raising kids. And a time may come again when I need to diversify and open myself up to new things God has for me.
Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!
(And as a side note, congrats to my pal, Roseanna, whose book A Stray Drop of Blood re-releases today in paperback. To win a copy, check back December 16th.)
Writing Wednesday – It’s only the beginning
1 December 2009
For years, I had one clear goal in my head—GET PUBLISHED.
I spent countless hours obsessing about how to get published, when I would get published, which project was most likely to get me published. This went on for years.
And then, magically, it happened.
When my agent called, I was so shocked that I couldn’t even feel excited. It was too much to wrap my mind around. This goal that I’d been working toward for nearly eight years had been achieved. I was now living the dream I had in first grade.
And very soon after, when I started talking marketing strategies with Revell, I discovered that I hadn’t “arrived” like I thought I had. That getting published was just the beginning. While I’d studied myself into an expert on what it took to get published, I then realized I had no idea what it meant to be published.
There are a lot of things to worry about, and I’m a person who can worry even when there’s nothing to worry about. In the moments that I get sucked under, here’s what I’m thinking about:
Will my sales improve? Will the people who read and liked the first book read and like the second book? What about the third? What can I do to get myself on a bestseller list? Will my editor like the other book I sent her? What if she doesn’t? Do they completely write me off or ask to see something else? If so, how many shots do I get before the drop me? Will I get to have a career as a writer, or just a series? What is wrong with me that I can’t just leave this all up to God?
And so on.
Fortunately, being an aspiring author is good practice for being an actual author. You get used to waiting, used to working hard on something that you might end up throwing away, used to feeling like nothing you write is very good at all and maybe you should throw the towel in now.
What I’m trying to say is what seems like the finish line is really only the beginning of another race. Actually, I’m finding that to be true about more and more in life. There’s a line in an old Semi-Sonic song that I’ve always loved: “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
So if you’re dreaming of publication, stick with it. It’s a great goal to have. But do it smarter than me—talk to authors about their experiences, be prepared to give up writing time, and expect to be stretched.
Is this a downer blog entry? I don’t mean for it to be. I’ll try to be lighter and zippier tomorrow.
I should stick to on-line shopping
2 December 2009
Although the general consensus yesterday was that my post was not as much of a downer as I’d feared, I’ll stick to my vow to be light and zippy today.
Yesterday, I ventured to the mall for my first foray in Christmas shopping this season. At Barnes and Noble, I was making a beeline for the elevator when someone said, “Hi, Stephanie!”
First, I jumped like a startled cat. As if it’s such a shocking thing for someone to say hello to me. It was the Community Relations Manager, Michael, who’s a total dream to work with.
Feeling kinda like a big shot because I now know people at book stores (and because they had a ton of my books facing cover-out on the shelf), I wanted to make conversation. I opened with, “How was your weekend?” and then quickly began praying that he would NOT realize how stupid that question was. Because I just did a book signing there on Monday. As in the day that falls AFTER the weekend. And we talked for like an hour that night.
If he realized I was being a total moron, he was at least nice enough to not point and laugh at me. But, sheesh. Makes me think twice about doing any shopping at any store where I might run into a business contact. Clearly I can’t get through a simple interaction without being jumpy and stupid.
Okay, a trite post, maybe, but I think I delivered on the light and zippy thing. Happy Thursday, everybody!
Book Friday – I’m So Sure by Jenny B. Jones
3 December 2009
I’m always thrilled when Jenny B. Jones’s latest book shows up in the mail. I know I’m guaranteed three things—a narrator I’ll love and want to cheer for, a plot that keeps me turning pages, and lots of laughing. (And a good dedication. Jenny writes some of the best.)
I’m So Sure is the second installment of The Charmed Life Series. In the first book, So Not Happening, sixteen-year-old Bella was moved from Manhattan to Oklahoma when her parents split. I’m So Sure showcases a more endearing Bella, now that she’s settled into cowgirl life. Scandal and trouble continue to follow her around, some of which is brought on by her own headstrong ways, but also from her stepdad being featured on a new amateur wrestler reality show. Which lends itself to more craziness than you can imagine.
For me, Jenny B. Jones has turned into a guaranteed good-read author. If you haven’t tried her yet, now would be an excellent time to do so.
Have a great weekend everybody!
An Unofficial Review of New Moon
6 December 2009
I’m not a movie critic, and I’m a HUGE Twilight fan, so bear that in mind when reading this.
Ben and I went to see New Moon on Saturday, and it was awesome. I could tell I’d seen the trailer way too many times because all through the movie I kept thinking, “Oh, that was in the trailer. Oh, they made it look like she was running from Laurent in that scene, but really she was running from Paul.” And so on.
The plot changes worked well, I thought. Like Jacob giving Bella a birthday present so we had a little face-off between him and Edward early in the movie. And Jacob being there when Sam found her in the woods. (That’s not in the book, right?)
My favorite line made it into the movie, where Jacob tells Bella, “You should hold out for someone with a stronger stomach. For someone who laughs in the face of gore that makes weaker men vomit.” Or it’s something like that. I would look it up but my New Moon book isn’t in my possession right now. (Ahem, Roseanna.)
On the way home from the movie, Ben and I had a strangely intense Twilight discussion that started when Ben said, “I liked the movie … but I don’t like Bella or Edward. She makes really stupid decisions.”
Yes, sometimes she does. In the book, I think her train of thought is much clearer and makes her more sympathetic. (Which is why books rule.) In fact, there were a couple times during the movie where I thought, “I wonder if I would understand that if I hadn’t read the books.”
One other thing I found really interesting about New Moon is there’s practically no help offered for anybody who might not have seen Twilight. It was nice not having to be bogged down with back story, but I still found it an interesting choice.
My official review is if you like Twilight, you’ll like the movie.
And go Team Jacob.
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree…
7 December 2009
Last night, we went and bought our Christmas tree, which is one of my favorite things to do even though it’s always freezing. Usually after we’ve been there about five minutes, I’m like, “I’m super cold, and I don’t care. That one looks good. Grab it, and I’ll meet you inside.” Except for our Christmases in Orlando when we were usually in shorts and t-shirts during the tree shopping.
I know it’s stupid, and it’s not really what Christmas is about, but the Christmas tree is one of my favorite parts of the season. It’s a golden childhood thing. Growing up, the tree was always in some room of the house we didn’t use much, like the formal living room. I loved going in there at night when only the tree lights were on. I would lie next to all the presents and think about what might be in them.
Now that I’m a mature, sage 26, those memories seem magical. And when I’m driving at night and see Christmas trees in the window and lights strung across the houses, it makes me kinda fluttery inside. Same as twenty years ago when I’d be lying next to the tree.
Hope everyone’s having a super Christmas season so far. And that you aren’t too behind on your shopping.
Writing Wednesday – Out with the In Crowd
8 December 2009
VERY special day yesterday. The UPS guy delivered my author copies of Out with the In Crowd. Unfortunately, it was a while before I could open it because McKenna was having such a good time climbing on the box. But, wow. Beautiful.
I don’t know if it’s cool or not for an author to say this, but I really loved writing this book. I was able to explore an issue very close to my heart—in high school, how much should you give up for the person you’re in love with? It’s something Ben and I wrestled with a lot, both within ourselves and with others who voiced their opinions on the subject. I’m really pleased with how the book turned out, particularly the dynamics between Skylar and Connor.
So the book officially hits shelves January 1st, though you might be able to find it in your local book store before that. Particularly your local Christian book store.
Because the books arrived, I got to do my first ever newsletter-subscriber-drawing (Okay, that totally needs a better name. Any suggestions?) The winners are Jody H., Nancy R., Morgan S., Mallory M., and Taylor A.
If you want to be entered for future releases (sorry, quick commercial), you can get the details here.
I’m going to spend a few more minutes basking in the knowledge that I’m officially multi-published, and then I’ll return to writing and being hypercritical and full of self-doubt.
Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!
Yay, I’m getting better!
9 December 2009
What could be better than the first snow of the season happening while we were decorating our Christmas tree last night? What a great time of year. Particularly if you don’t need to drive anywhere.
Decorating the tree definitely provided one of those life moments where I’m looking around thinking, “Okay … this isn’t exactly how I pictured this going.” We’d done everything we could to set the perfect family Christmas memory in motion—Manheim Steamroller on the stereo, homemade eggnog in chilled glasses, and lots of upbeat conversation with McKenna about decorating the tree.
I was smart enough to know McKenna wouldn’t enjoy 30 minutes of tree decorating, but I thought she might like one or two. Instead, 20 seconds into it, when McKenna learned that she wasn’t allowed to play with any of the ornaments, she abandoned the cause and went back to her toys. Then about ten minutes later, I had a major pregnancy moment where I was like, “Okay … I’m suddenly really tired. I’ve got to sit down.” So then it was Ben decorating the tree by himself, me sprawled out on the floor, and McKenna playing the piano too loudly for us to even hear the Christmas music.
I’m not a flexible person. At all. But during the tree decorating last night, as I was trying to determine if 8:00 was too early for bed, it occurred to me that about a year ago, this was a scene that would have sent me into tears. Here I had in my mind what a perfect evening it was going to be, and then even I didn’t have the energy to see it through. But instead of crying or being frustrated, I just went with it. (Fatigue might have helped.)
I’m always grateful for those kinds of moments, where you get a glimpse at how you’ve grown. Particularly in an area where you never thought you’d be able to change. So while we didn’t make the scrapbook memory I thought we would, it was still a very satisfying night.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Book Friday - By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson
10 December 2009
Fantasy is normally not my thing. I read the first Lord of the Rings books by my husband’s request, and while I was able to recognize that it was good literature, I didn’t feel compelled to read the next two in the series.
So I wasn’t entirely sure how I would like Jill Williamson’s By Darkness Hid, but I’d never read a fantasy book targeted at teens and wanted to give it a try.
It’s 490 pages long, so it’s kinda tough to summarize in my normal short style. The book follows Achan, who’s 16 and a “stray.” This means he has zero rights, and has been beaten and held down his entire life. A knight offers to train him for the Kingsguard, but Achan ends up getting a little more than he bargained for when he stops drinking this nasty tonic forced on him every morning and discovers he has the gift of “bloodvoicing.” Which is a mind-communication thing.
The other character we follow is Vrell, who’s a noble girl but is masquerading as a stray boy so she’s not forced to marry the awful prince. She can also bloodvoice, and before she’s able to get home safely, she feels called to help Achan in his journey.
I was shocked by how much I enjoyed By Darkness Hid. There were a few nights where I thought, “I’ll just read for 10 or 15 minutes before going to bed,” and then about an hour and a half later, I’d finally force myself to turn off the light. Achan is so endearing, and I spent most the book wanting to leap into those pages and give him a big hug. Especially when his girl gets stolen by this total pig of a guy. Grr…. And Vrell is my kind of heroine—brave, strong, and inventive.
The book ends in one of those places where you’re like, “Hey! I wasn’t ready yet! Not cool.” Fortunately, two more books are coming. To Darkness Fled releases April 1st.
Have a great weekend everybody!
I'm the proud mother of a big girl
13 December 2009
It’s pretty hard to believe, but my baby turns two today. I’m the kind of person who with every milestone says, “Oh my gosh, last year at this time McKenna…” and, “And next year at this time, McKenna will be…” Especially on her birthdays. Last birthday she wasn’t walking very well, this year she was running all over the place. Last birthday she seemed a little freaked out to have a bunch of family and friends over. This year she soaked up the attention like Ben and I ignore her 24/7. Last birthday she spoke very basic words. This year she said to me, “Oh my gosh,” about something.
She’s such a super fun kid. Most parents I know feel that way, but I’m honestly a little surprised that I do. I always knew I could do the baby stuff. I was excited to have a cuddly bundle of joy, but I wasn’t so sure about the kid thing. I actually got really depressed last year as McKenna’s first birthday approached. But with each day McKenna becomes more fun, and while I’m not exactly anxious for her to grow up, it’s now thrilling to think, “Next year McKenna will love this,” or, “Next year, we’ll be able to do this with McKenna.” She’s awesome. Happy birthday, my little bunny.
That’s all for today. If you need a less-McKenna-focused kind of posting, I blogged with Girls, God, and the Good Life yesterday about failed friendships. Oh! And if you’d like to win a copy of Me, Just Different and Out with the In Crowd, check out my interview with the darling Carman Boley and leave a comment to win.
Happy Monday everyone!
A brief moment of glory
14 December 2009
So the Barnes and Noble down the street from me sent me an e-mail over the weekend saying they’d received a shipment of Out with the In Crowd, which was quite unexpected since the official release date is January 1st. Ben and I were at the mall anyway (we really were), and decided to stop in and see the books.
When you come up the escalator, if you look a little to the right, it’s like BAM, there’s Skylar. They have a ton of copies of both Me, Just Different and Out with the In Crowd, and they’re all faced COVER OUT. Very exciting stuff.
And since I’m doing a signing there on January 23rd, they have a poster of me up in the display window facing out to the mall.
I’m aware it’s totally stupid. And vain. And other unflattering adjectives, but I loooove walking by and seeing the books in the display window. I could do without having my picture there, but the books … that’s pretty sweet.
Part of it, I think, is because there are so few “glory” moments in the writing life. It’s a lot of time by yourself, a lot of self-criticism, and a lot of inviting others to tell you what they think is wrong with your book. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s a lot like pregnancy. A ton of investment up front, and after labor, your reward is something that demands some more hard work from you.
So seeing the books in the window was akin to a month ago when McKenna asked for a bite of parsley (yes, I’m serious), and, when I handed it to her, she said, “Thank you, Mama.” Just like we’d been working on for months and months.
And now to go celebrate with some chocolate. Can I just say that I’m currently loving adulthood? I’m about to go upstairs to my kitchen and rip into a bag of chocolate chips without asking permission. So cool.
Happy Tuesday, guys.
Writing Wednesday, A Book Giveaway
15 December 2009
For today’s Writing Wednesday, I’m featuring my gal pal Roseanna M. White. Her biblical fiction novel, A Stray Drop of Blood, re-released in paperback this month, and is an awesome read. You can read an official blurb here on Roseanna’s site, but in short the book is about a 15-year-old slave girl, Abigail, who serves in a half-Hebrew, half-Roman household during the time of Jesus.
Roseanna has graciously agreed to give away a copy, so when you’re done reading the interview, leave a comment to be entered. As always, it doesn’t have to be an intelligent comment, just a comment.
What similarities do you see in Abbie’s life and the life of the modern day 15-year-old?
Well, humanity (and hormones, ha ha) haven’t changed, so the sexual temptation, the confusion about what you want versus what you know is right and wrong, and even feeling torn between the different facets of life will be very relatable to teens today. Though Abigail was a slave so had to obey her masters, they’re in many ways equivalent to parent-figures. She loved them, she wanted to please them and make them proud, but she discovered through the pages of the book that living for them, by their faith, wasn’t enough.
The idea for this book sparked when you were a teenager. Tell us about that.
Believe it or not, this book started when I was 15. I’d been falling for this guy named David, but I hadn’t admitted it because my best friend had a crush on him. The thing is, David didn’t like my friend, he liked me. And on Good Friday of my sophomore year of high school, I decided to give a relationship with him a chance.
Needless to say, this did not make Best Friend happy. She screamed a few profanities at me over the phone and left me feeling like I was the worst friend in the history of the world. I could see her point–but at the same time, what I felt for David wasn’t just a crush. Had he been interested in her instead of me, I would have sucked it up because I wanted him to be happy.
We didn’t have school that day, so I sat down in front of my parents’ picture window, looked out over the mountains, and let the bittersweet feelings of new love and the possible loss of my oldest friend wash over me. After a while, I picked up my Bible and began to read about that first Friday that for some reason we call Good (which made no sense to me).
As I read, my feelings seemed so small compared to what Jesus went through. My possible loss was nothing compared to his sacrifice. My new love was nothing compared to his overwhelming compassion for the world. Never before had the story struck me so forcefully.
Being me, my mind started turning it into a story. What if, I wondered, I were there in the crowd when Jesus was tried? What if I’d gone with hatred and bitterness in my heart, aimed at . . . Barabbas? What would I have felt when the criminal were released and Jesus put to death in his place?
What would I have done when I heard Him forgive his tormentors, when there I was out for revenge?
You had the idea, and then what?
I moved over to my computer and typed up a 6 page short story called A Stray Drop of Blood. It was a story of a woman who went out that morning expecting one thing and was struck by a force of God she’d never seen coming. It was about an angry soul washed clean when a drop of the Savior’s blood landed on her.
I knew that day it would be a book. I also knew I wasn’t ready to write it yet, so I put it in a special place in the back of my mind until I got to college. Where, I might add, I married David. My best friend and I made up, but I’d be lying if I said things were the same as they had been. We were still friends through high school, she was in my wedding, but we’ve largely lost touch since then. I miss her, but I can’t regret making a decision for the man I’ve been married to for almost nine years. I can’t imagine life without him.
What messages in Stray Drop do you think will come across to a teen audience?
Oh my. I think one of the biggies is that actions have consequences that will change your life. Sex plays a huge part in the story (though it’s not explicit), and Abigail’s life if forever altered by her relationship with Jason. I really hope that the battle between belief and desire comes through. Plus, there’s the fact that Abigail eventually comes to the place where she takes responsibility for her own decisions and realizes that resting on her mistress’s faith isn’t enough.
What’s a piece of advice you have for teens who want to be writers?
Go for it! Have fun with it, and don’t give up. I finished my first novel at 13, my second at 16, and I just kept on going from there. Sure, I had a lot to learn and those first books are terrible, but they helped shape me. And the ideas were there–the craft just needed sharpened. So learn about modern writing rules, take yourself and your dreams seriously. If possible, find a mentor to help guide you.
Favorite book in high school?
Just one?? I loved the classics – A Tale of Two Cities, Crime and Punishment – I was a huge Lori Wick fan (particularly the Kensington Chronicles), I’d started reading and adoring Nora Roberts, and David got me hooked on Orson Scott Card. Ender’s Game still ranks as one of the best books ever in my mind.
Best/worst/or most embarrassing high school moment?
Oh dear. Well, see, I was a goody-goody. David . . . wasn’t. He wasn’t bad, mind you, just had a real problem with the over-the-top authoritarian we had for a principal at the time. When he got yelled at for having his cell phone inside the school (he was one of the few kids with one at the time), he reluctantly left it in his Jeep. One morning when we met in the parking lot before school, he said he had to call his mom to tell her something, so I climbed into his Jeep for a minute while he did–it was winter, so this made perfect sense. Lo and behold, a tap on the window–it’s the parking lot Nazi, who tells us to get our rears inside NOW and writes us up for a suspension.
We both refused to sign that and called our parents to tell them about how outrageous this was–I mean, hello, we were trying to obey the rules! But the principal (grrrr) kept saying, “I can’t budge. This is the vice principal’s domain. We have to do what he says.” So we went to the VP and told him what the principal said and watched a light go on in his eyes. VP and P didn’t exactly get along, and I think this was one of the first time he’d been handed authority on a silver platter.
The wonderful VP gave us half an hour after-school detention. I was sooooo embarrassed to walk into that room–I mean, this was me. Valedictorian elect, head of the Christian Club–in detention for loitering in the parking lot with her boyfriend.
As it happens, it was a nice quiet time to read The Scarlet Letter. There are worse ways to spend a chunk of afternoon.
Thinking of those lost on Mt. Hood
16 December 2009
Before I get down to bloggy business, just want to remind everybody that the contest from yesterday is still open. Leave a comment to win a copy of Roseanna White’s biblical fiction release, A Stray Drop of Blood.
Okay, onto actual stuff. I normally try to keep things light hearted on here. Or, if I do go deep, to have some kind of “light at the end of the tunnel” kind of moment. Today I couldn’t quite get there.
I think watching the news is a funny thing.
Not watching it, but the fact that when I watch it, I’m often emotionally “unmoved.” I mean, they list horrific tales one right after the other, and yet I shut off the TV and go about my day.
Yesterday, I had the news on for quite a while. It’s not something I often do, but it was just one of those days where I felt like hearing other adult voices. It was a typical news day: sick puppies were intercepted at the border, a daycare center was accused of drugging kids, etc. I watched these with nothing more than a shake of my head.
And then the anchors began talking about two hikers who have been lost since Friday on Mt. Hood, and my stomach pitched.
A year ago, this would have been another tragedy I shrugged off, but since my husband spent 4-days and 3-nights in the Colorado wilderness this summer, I couldn’t turn away. Particularly when they showed the shot of 24-year-old Anthony Vietti, with his pack and trekking poles that could have belonged to my husband. He’s missing along with 29-year-old Katie Nolan. There was a third member in their party, 26-year-old Luke Gullberg, but he’s already been found dead.
They were all experienced climbers but … something happened. We don’t know what, and it’s possible we’ll never know.
Thinking about their families hurts my heart, because I can see all too clearly what it would have been like it Ben, my brother-in-law, and our friend were supposed to come home and never showed up at the pick up point.
I’m praying for a miracle for Katie and Anthony and their families, just like I know people would be for us if Ben, Chris, and Justin went missing.
Book Friday – Tidings of Great Boys by Shelley Adina
17 December 2009
I have to say, this is one of my favorite titles for Shelley’s All About Us series. It’s also my favorite book of the series so far, which is interesting because I’ve never been particularly attached to Mac, the main character. (Carly’s my favorite, although hers is the only book in the series I’ve yet to read.)
Tidings of Great Boys is primarily set in Scotland, which might be one of the reasons I’m enjoying it so much. I love European settings, and because Shelley is such a globe trotter (I’m serious—she is) the location really comes to life. Another fun thing about reading this book right now is that it’s set during Christmas. I’ve never read a Christmas book at Christmas time. After this, I might make it a yearly tradition.
One of the things I love most about this series is the relationship between the girls. They’re all very different, and while their differences sometimes grate on each other, their friendships are still solid. It speaks to me as much at age 26 as it would have when I was 16.
A jolly good read.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! And congratulations to my parents who have been married 27 years today. Love you guys!
Robsessed
20 December 2009
So, I was at Blockbuster hunting down Star Trek when my eye happened to catch on the hot pink DVD cover for Robsessed. As you might guess from the title, it’s an “exclusive, access-all-areas pass” to the life of Robert Pattinson. Or R-Pattz, as he’s apparently called. The “documentary” claims to include the sizzling secrets of Robert’s first kiss, gossip on his co-stars, and tales of how his sisters used to dress him up like a girl and call him Claudia.
Now, I’m firmly on Team Jacob, but even if this were “Taysessed” or whatever the equivalent documentary for Taylor Lautner would be called, I somehow think I’d still be asking myself, “Uh … WHY???” People seriously care about this stuff? Now, I’ve had my fair share of embarrassing obsessions (I own New Kids on the Block bed sheets), but I really can’t imagine “R-Pattz’s” life being THAT interesting.
What’s extra amusing to me now is I saw this thing is bombing in reviews on Amazon. The fans are annoyed that this company is making money off Rob’s fame on an unauthorized biography. That was actually a pleasant surprise. Glad to see there are some intelligent fans out there.
On the other hand, Star Trek was awesome. Other than vague second hand knowledge I’ve picked up along the years from my Star-Trek-loving father, I knew very little heading into the movie and really enjoyed it. The funniest part was how Ben and I kept saying about James Kirk, “We know that guy from somewhere. WHAT is he in?”
Princess Diaries Two. Yeah, that prompted a groan from my husband.
Hope everyone has a happy Monday!
Do we need this?
21 December 2009
First, congrats to my mother-in-law, Ann, who won the copy of Roseanna White’s A Stray Drop of Blood. For those who are new to the blog, my very scientific way of choosing the winner is pulling a number out of an old tea tin. I pulled number 7, and my mother-in-law was the seventh person to comment. Voila. For those who commented and are interested in a little discount action when they order A Stray Drop of Blood, shoot Roseanna an e-mail — Roseanna at RoseannaWhite.com — and she’ll give you details.
In other less exciting news, I was at the grocery store (the way all good stories start, right?) and someone came on the P.A. I’m assuming a manager or something, although personally I would be shoving this job off on whomever else I could. So he comes on the intercom, clears his throat, and starts chit-chatting about how cold it’s been. (Insert me rolling my eyes. It’s December in Kansas City. Yeah, it’s cold.) Then he goes on to say, “The thought of the days is, “If you’re having a rough day, do something nice for somebody else.”
Which left me thinking, yeah, that’s true… But, you know. I’m standing back here trying to figure out which ham I should buy. If he’d caught me during my morning devotional time, that’d have been one thing. But when I’m on my third stop of the morning with my toddler, standing in a crowded supermarket with other holiday shoppers, I’m not really in “that kind of place.”
So I’m really wondering whose brainstorm this was. Did they come up with this at some marketing meeting? Like, “Maybe a thought of the day around 11:30 would really pull the people in.” Is it some sort of holiday special where we talk about things that would be good for us to do?
It all seemed very strange to me. Of course, I’m now blogging about Price Chopper which I’ve never done before, so maybe they’re onto something.
Thought of the day: Enjoy your Tuesday. And it’s good to do something nice for somebody else, regardless of what kind of day you’re having.
My Favorite Things about Christmas
22 December 2009
This will be my last post for the week since, you know … Christmas and stuff. It’s far from original, but it’s what I’m in the mood to talk about, so here are some of my favorite things about the Christmas season. In no particular order.
1. Peanut butter balls, chocolate covered cherries, and a variety of other Christmas candies my mom and mother-in-law make.
2. In that same vein, how well we eat between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.
3. Having my husband off work and at home with McKenna and me.
4. Dressing McKenna for the Christmas Eve service at church. I’m serious. This year she’s wearing a black ruffled sweater, a silver tu-tu style skirt, black tights, and black shoes. I’m way excited, especially because we could NOT find a Christmas dress we liked this year. Except at Baby Gap, but yeah. We didn’t really want to spend that kind of money. OH, but it’s a good thing we went in there to look because we ended up running into JOAKIM SORIA and his very pregnant wife or girlfriend. (Joakim Soria is an amazing closer for the KC Royals. I thought Ben was going to float away from happiness when we saw him entering Baby Gap. They even exchanged a smile. We might be naming baby #2 Joakim Soria Morrill in his honor.) Okay, back to Christmas.
5. The lights on the Country Club Plaza. Ben and I drove down there a couple nights ago to show McKenna. She kept telling us, “lights way up there!”
6. I’ve talked about this before, but the Christmas tree. It makes our front room so beautiful and cozy.
7. The song Silent Night. Not only is it beautiful, but I get a kick out of hearing secular artists sing about our Savior.
8. Our Christmas schedule—We spend Christmas Eve with Ben’s family, then Christmas morning just the three of us, and then go over to my parents place in the afternoon. I love the quality time with everyone. And I’m grateful for having all our family here in town, and to not be driving from house to house the way we did when we visited from Orlando.I’m sure I could come up with some more, but these are the big ones coming to mind at the moment. What about you, oh fabulous readers of mine?
Whatever you’re doing this Christmas, wherever your holiday plans take you, I hope you enjoy this celebratory time of year. Catch you all back here next week.
Merry Christmas!
Holiday Laziness
27 December 2009
It’s Sunday night, but I have guests at my house, and I’m not really sure what time I’ll get to my computer. So all I’d planned for tomorrow (Monday) is to link to my post on Girls, God, and Good Life. It’s the Monday after a very busy holiday weekend, so I feel like a little laziness is allowed. Even from you guys, my fabulous followers. How about if I remove all pressures to comment today? Take the day off. Go crazy.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I’ll be back in full force tomorrow. Or mostly full, anyway.
Viewing yourself
28 December 2009
So, I’m wondering if I see myself very clearly.
I’m sure everybody struggles with this to some extent. I’d never thought about it much until the day after Christmas when I put on the new sweater and scarf my parents gave me.
The sweater is soft, black, and I don’t know what the technical term is (Skylar would be able to tell me), but it’s one you can style to wear long or shorter. Like the hem is elastic and you can pull it down around your knees (though you shouldn’t) or have it up around your hips, which makes the sweater kinda blouse out. That’s a horrible description, so you’ll just have to trust me the sweater is cute. And to go with it, there’s a purple silk scarf.
So, the day after Christmas, after I got the sweater figured out, I stood in front of the mirror and fussed with my scarf off-and-on for about twenty minutes. I even got on the Banana Republic web site to see how I was supposed to wear it, and all that did was clarify that I couldn’t go wrong. Finally, I knotted it in a way that looked pretty cute, and I was good to go (though that didn’t stop me from playing with it all morning long).
As I went through all that, it occurred to me that my parents and in-laws always pick out bolder clothes for me than I do. The kinds of things that I look at and think, “That’s so cute … I’m not sure if I could pull that off.”
Then later that day, my cousin asked me if I’d ever been in Anthropologie. Anthropologie is my favorite store in the entire world, but I only own two things from there for a couple reasons. 1. Crazy expensive. I head straight for the sales racks. 2. With just about every article of clothing in that store, I’m like, “Wow, that’s super cute. No way could I ever wear that.”
So I said to my cousin, “Yeah, I love that place.”
And she said, “All that stuff really reminds me of you.”
Which was one of those jaw-dropping, are-you-kidding-me kind of moments. Especially since I view myself as a jeans-and-plain-T kind of girl. Maybe in 2010 I’ll unleash a bolder, swankier Stephanie Leigh Morrill. Though I’ve been hoping for that since about sixth grade on, so probably not.
Which is a perfect segue into tomorrow’s topic, which will be New Year’s resolutions. Anybody have any good ones yet?
Have a great Tuesday!
New Year's Resolutions
29 December 2009
This will be my last blog post this week because my brain shuts off for holiday on the 31st and you wouldn’t be interested in whatever drivel I could manage to produce.
So I’m doing the New Year’s resolution chat a day early. People seem to either really get into resolutions or think they’re really dumb. I happen to get into them. As a tween/teen, I used to write them all out in my journal every year. It was often stuff I couldn’t control. Like, “Have prettier hair.” At the ripe age of twenty-six, I’ve finally learned how to set resolutions/goals I can actually control.
So here’s what I’ve got so far:
Spiritual Goals
Read scripture every day. I became horrible about this in 2009. Well, really in 2008. Especially when McKenna goes through phases where she wakes up before I do. One of these years I’d like to read the Bible in a year, but I really don’t think 2010 is the year to take that on. I have two books releasing, and I’ll have a newborn sometime around July 15th. I’ll settle for being more consistent.
Improve my hospitality skills. This is a weakness of mine that many are surprised by because we regularly host our small group and often have people over for dinner. What people don’t realize is that I often have a poor attitude about it and really stress myself out. When I took a spiritual gifts test back in October, I totally “flunked” on hospitality. Paul (Peter?) says (somewhere) to take opportunities to practice hospitality. I intend to do so this year.
Career Goals
Complete writing two novels. I think this is doable, though promotions for Out with the In Crowd and So Over it will definitely take up some work time. Again, doable, but not easy.
Read The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell, which my darling brother-in-law gave me for Christmas. It’s also time to reread On Writing or Bird by Bird.
Read two books a month. You have no idea how much I’d love to make my goal four, but I’ll stick with two.
Study up on plotting and work on my skills in that area.
Usually I also have “life goals” of some sort (be nicer to my husband, take more pictures of McKenna, etc.) but I haven’t come up with any good, tangible ones yet. Maybe if you guys share some of yours, it’ll spark something for me as well.
But as I look over this list, I’m grateful to know that the important people in my life won’t love me any less if I’m unable to write a single word this year. And that I’ll still be just as precious to God if I skip a day of reading. There’s comfort in knowing I’m accepted despite all my imperfections.
See you all back here in 2010.
A couple interviews and a giveaway
31 December 2009
Okay, so I said I wasn’t blogging today, but I lied. I’d forgotten that my interview with Novel Journey went live today. So you can stop by and learn about my journey from unpubbed to pubbed.
Also, the legendary Lena Nelson Dooley featured me on her blog today. (I’m sneaking in there as her last interview of 2009.) Head over to Lena’s and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Out with the In Crowd.
That’s all I’ve got for today. Hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. I doubt I’ll make it to the stroke of 10, since I headed upstairs to take a nap this morning around 11. I know. Don’t you wish you were partying at the Morrill house tonight?